Honor-Killing in Afghanistan: Father Kills His Daughter and Her Lover

This year (solar year) 24 cases of violence have been recorded in the Women’s Affair

RAWA News
Mohammad Barat and Habib-ul-Rahman Sherzai
22 June 2009

A father brutally murdered his daughter and a young boy for having love affairs in Samangan province, Northern Afghanistan. He stabbed them many times with a knife.

The girl was named Shakila and was 18 years old and the boy named Ghulam Sakhi was 22. This savage incident took place at 3 in the morning in Haji Umar Village of Aibak city (centre of Samangan).

Officer Amir Jan Istanikzai, police chief of Samangan, told PAN that the murder had been committed by Haji Gulbuddin, the girl’s father. He added that Haji Gulbuddin had called the police and the police went to his home and arrested him.

Stanikzai says that the he has taken the responsibility for the murder of the boy and girl so he is in custody and the case is under investigation.

Dr. Abdul Momin Frotan, in-charge in the Provincial Hospital of Samangan, said that the bodies of the boy and girl were brought to the hospital and that they both have been stabbed 50 to 60 times in their head, face and body.

Frotan claimed that according to the medical examinations, the girl has been raped.

Abdul Shukoor, Ghulam Sakhi’s uncle, said that his nephew had become an orphan at the age of one and had grown up in his home and was a shopkeeper. He added that they heard that Ghulam Sakhi had disappeared the last evening but today the police told them that his nephew had been killed.

He said that he knew nothing of the relations of the girl and the boy but some people in the area said that the girl and boy were consented with each other and planned to marry. Abdul Shukoor demanded prosecution and punishment for the murderer.

Haji Gulbuddin, the murderer, told PAN that he knows this is a crime but he has no regrets; his honor demanded this and he is proud of it and whatever punishment the government gives makes no difference to him.

He said, “At night my other daughter was giving birth so I sent her with her mother to the hospital. My sons slept in one room, my daughter in the other and I slept in the hall.”

He said that at three in the morning he woke up to pray and woke his daughter to tell her he was going to the mosque for ablution and prayers so that she opens the door. His daughter said there is no key so he prayed two Rakat (units of prayer) at home and noticed that there were unfamiliar shoes near his daughter’s door. He entered her room and saw no one but when he opened the bathroom he saw a young boy who was naked.

Haji Gulbuddin continued that he asked the boy what he was doing there and that if he wanted to have relations with his daughter he should have sent a proposal. The boy said that he had made a mistake and wants to send a proposal.

He said, “I told him to wear his shirt. Then I went to the kitchen and brought a knife. First I stabbed the boy countless times and then my daughter. I took out all my anger.”

Both the directorship of Women’s Affairs and Human Rights condemned both the acts.

Hanifa Aashna director of the Women’s Affair of Samangan said that according to the information the boy had an illegitimate physical relation with the girl. Aashna said both the acts were crimes and should be condemned; the father shouldn’t have murdered them but handed them to the law to make the decision.

She said the murder of the girl and boy were due to the emotions of the father. She said this year (solar year) 24 cases of violence had been recorded in the Women’s Affair which include beating and escape from home due to lack of sustenance, but the murder of a girl and boy has been seen for the first time.

Qazi Said Muhammad Samay, head of the Human Rights Commission in the Northern Zone called both acts crimes and said that the boy shouldn’t have raped the girl and sent a proposal.

Samay says that the father (Haji Gulbuddin) should have handed the boy to the law and he should be punished according to the law for the murder of the girl and boy.

A similar incident took place on the night of 29th April in Taimoorban Village of Baghlan District (centre of Baghlan province). A father shot dead his daughter and a young boy for the accusation of having illegitimate relations. The boy was 23 and the girl was 25 and they were cousins.

Azimullah the girl’s father who is in police custody claimed that the boy had secretly come to their home at night to meet his daughter; this was against his honor and that is why he shot and killed them.

According to the police, the boy’s family had brought a proposal several times but the girl’s family was against it.

Also last month a woman named Rahila was stabbed to death in Bilchuragh District of Faryab province.

According to Sharifa Azimi, director of Women’s Affairs of Faryab, four years had passed of 18-year old Rahila’s marriage and she had a child. Rahila’s family claimed that she had been killed by her father-in-law.

But Officer Mohammad Khalil said that Rahila’s father-in-law who had been arrested regarding the matter claims his daughter-in-law had committed suicide.

According to the AIHRC in 2008 more than 2000 cases of violence had been recorded in the country including cases of murder, suicide, self-immolation and rape.

In another incident, two motor bikers had been killed by unknown armed men in Baghlan District of centre of Baghlan province. Javed Basharat, spokesperson of Commanding Security of Baghlan told PAN that these two young men were returning from their lands at 11 the previous night when they were killed with bullets of a Klashinkov.

Dr. Khalil Ahmad Narmgoy, director of Central Baghlan Hospital said that the bodies had been brought to the hospital and their bodies show signs of bullets.

Javed Frough, one of the residents of the area, said that at night illegally armed men move about and so commit these crimes.

He demanded the government to arrest such men and punish them. No one has taken responsibility for the murder till now.

you know i get lough when i see some ppl are so convesed in these things that doesnt belong to us and that is not toooooooo proud to do announce these things that is actually a shame if we think it deeply ok dears dont be sooooooo and soooooooooo and soooooo surprised and exciting about these news coz there are alot of boys whom has connection with girls and they go to thier house and enjoy this is just one that they are cought still there are alot even the girls families know about thier doughter’s relation with a strange boy but they cant say anything specially in foriegn countries we have many and many afghan families that they are in this situation

the father was stupid.. if he loved his honor that much he should have not put it out there that his daughter was a bad gal or u know what i mean.. he should have let em get married secretly and live together that way his honor would have been safe and so would be the gal and a boy .. if he would beat em up i would understand but killing em is soo freaking sad… i know they did wrong but it doesnt give him the right to kill em since he is the father he should have shown them the right path.. may allah guide everyone to the right path

thank u for agreeing tarin jaan … and yeah about ur comment on foriegn countries and the gals in same situatuion.. here parents are more careful with thier children and also not that but trust me on this if a boy and a gal want to do something bad .. no1 can stop em and they will do it anyway if its infront of thier parents or not ..

i give up on this forum wasnt going to answer any question but this news was extremly heart touching thanks for sharing … but i still dont get what the heck was this father trying to prove…

he said he did that for his pride and honor how can he put his own honor in the court outside to the public and say that he has done for his honor .. i guess he doesnt know that his daughter and her reputation was part of his honor too .. but he was a retard i guess

@ Friendly first of all it’s clear the boy didn’t luv the girl because if he did then he would have straightly accept her in SHARIA law so it’s useless to say y the father make the guy to marry her daughter after what happened because the news would definitely go to local people and off course her dad and bros prefer death then coming across to such a day, certain things are done to live with honor and dignity in locality secondly i have heard dozen of such cases happened and the guy escapes without marrying the girl for sometime then he comes back and walks around to attempt on other gals, so tell me which way the man had to choose, to see the guy walks around him a month later with an evil smile on his face, how would he come out of his house how would he face villagers and people in locality so i agree with what he did.

This is a lesson to others to stop playing with life of innocent/ stupid girls.

I think no one has the right 2 kill s.o if it is for honour or sthg else i agree with friendly jan.
I think the Afghans should grow up and dont let all cases end up like this….. it is shocking
They both were mature enough 2 know what 2 do and i think they did not deserve 2 get killed by s.o except Allah
And plz dont come 2 the conclusion that the father tells the reality we all know our GHAIRATI men if there was even just pure LOVE he would have never accepted that 2 because of his HONOUR

I think that we should just accept the fact that this type of horror actions are commited not just in Afghanistan but all over the world. Has nothing to do with religion just lack education and common sense and the personal belief of an uneducated sefish individual.

@ Friendly and Zoye i would like to ask you guys please do not express your views about islam until you know and have the true knowledge about it. It’s in Hadith if a married man/woman commit adultery the must be stoned to death.

For your kind information

Hadith

There are many hadith that outline capital punishment as a penalty for adultery, including two of the following:

Imran b. Husain reported that a woman from Juhaina came to Muhammad and she had become pregnant because of adultery. She said: I am pregnant as a result of Zina. Muhammad said: “Go back, and come to me after the birth of the child”. After giving birth, the woman came back to Muhammad, saying: “please purify me now”. Next, Muhammad said, “Go and suckle your child, and come after the period of suckling is over.” She came after the period of weaning and brought a piece of bread with her. She fed the child the piece of bread and said, “Oh Allah’s Apostle, the child has been weaned.” At that Muhammad pronounced judgment about her and she was stoned to death.

thee is nothing wrong with islam and everything wrong with muslem AND A BIGGERONEWITHISLAMICCOURTGIVESOMEPPLMONEYTHEYWILLSWEAR TO ANYTHINGANDYOUNEED 4 PPL TO SWEARAND A PERSONCAN BE HANGEVEN IF HE OR SHE IS INNOCENT.

let me give a case

there was a lady who used to come to our house as a helper in herat. when i went to herat i heard that she had some problem with the court i asked what it was

her daughter had been raped by a young man she had gone to the police which first arrested the rapist.

next the family of the Rapist had gone to police and complain why the girl is free so the police goes and arrest the girl.

NOWTHEGIRLHASBEENRAPEDWHYSHOULDSHE BE ARRESTED.

after 2 weeks they gone to court family of the rapist whom they are rich spends some money and buy themself justice

the judge frees the rapist and the girl amonth after i left was still in jill FORBEINGTHEVICTUM OF RAPE SO MY FREIND IS THAT IN THEISLAMICLAW AS WELL

ANDLET ME PUTANOTHERPOINTWHATHAPPENS IF A GIRL IS RAPED IS SHEGONE BE HIT 90 OR 100 TIMES AS WELL IS IT THELAW OF AN ISLAMICCOUNTRY.

The case you referred to is different the girl was raped but the topic we are discussing is the sexual relation based on mutual agreement not rape both were guilty.

We cant deny the bribery in justice system of afghanistan but if we come to the real law of Islam and Afghanistan then offcourse the rapist was the person to face punishment not the girl since it wasnt on mutual agreement.

To be honest i dont belive in honor killing at all, that includes stoning to death if your found out about adultery, or intercourse before marriage, i am sooooo against this.

How you you play God and kill another human being whom God created and take their life away?... That is not upto a human being to decide who dies today, tomorrow, or this hour it is up to the lord ubove us all, he is the one shall judge life after death not us.

Many cases like this happens in non muslims countries but the parents have to deal with it try and make both individual get married to one another. Its either love marriage or ur child running away. i personaly believe love marriage if thats the case, i shall tell my child i rather have you tell me then go behind my back.